Rachel and Sam?
by MAndrews
Summary: Post BDM. Simon convinces the crew to go to Osiris for a new medication and they run into an Alliance Commander. Simon and River must define family for themselves.
1. Mal Gone Mad

Disclaimer: I don't own Firefly or any of its characters, I just like playing with them.

Author's Note:There will be at least one more chapter, maybe more if I can think of somewhere to go with this.

* * *

Kaylee hummed happily to herself, idly swinging her shopping bag back and forth. When they'd landed on Osiris last night, she'd been afraid the captain would insist everyone stay on board the ship like he had last time they were on a central planet. But after much whining, coaxing, and a bit of blackmail she and Jayne had gotten permission to get off. They'd even talked him into getting off himself for a bit. That had taken a lot of blackmail.  
As Kaylee approached the ship she wondered if anyone else was back yet. She knew Simon and River would be there, the only ones who couldn't leave the ship, and she thought Zoe had been planning to stay with the ship today too. But Jayne and Inara were probably still out. Captain was probably back, though, she decided. She figured she'd check in on him, see if he was still being grumpy, then go introduce Serenity to the new tools she'd found.  
She was just heading up the ramp when she heard someone call her name. She turned and was surprised to see the captain coming towards her. Even more surprising, he was smiling. Kaylee was sure she hadn't seen him do that since Simon has insisted they needed to come to Osiris to get a new medication for River.  
"Hey cap'n. You're all smiley, what's up?"  
"I had a very nice afternoon."  
Kaylee cocked her head to the side, smiling but puzzled. "Glad we talked you into getting off then?"  
Mal looked around for a moment, nodding. "I am, actually." He put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. "Very glad." He walked into the ship whistling.  
Kaylee stood where she was for a moment staring at his retreating back. Nice as it was to see him a good mood, she found the whistling unnerving somehow. The mood change had been just a bit too fast. She bit her lip, thinking.  
"Zoe knows him best, I'll ask her what she thinks."

Inara picked up a card from the deck, considered it for a moment, then slipped it into her hand and chose another one to throw out.  
Simon sighed. "Why don't you ever throw out anything I can use?" Inara smiled but didn't respond as Simon picked up a card of his own. He sighed again and dropped it on the discard pile just as Mal entered.  
"Hey you two!" he said cheerfully. He grabbed an apple from the counter and came over. "What's up?"  
Simon eyed the captain warily. "Playing cards." He knew the captain didn't like being on a central planet and it worried him that Mal was now smiling at him like that.  
"Who's winning?"  
"I am," Inara answered. She too looked concerned by Mal's unusual mood.  
"Well, guess the doc'll just have to try harder. I have faith in you doc, get her." He smiled at them again, bit into his apple, and walked towards his quarters whistling. Simon and Inara stared after him.  
"That, was...odd," Simon said after a moment.  
Inara picked up the card Simon had put down and nodded. "Very strange, he was in such a bad mood when he left this morning." She rearranged her cards, threw one out and then put them all down. "Gin."

"Zoe was just coming down from the bridge when she saw Mal emerging from his quarters. He looked up at her and smiled.  
"Hey Zo"  
"Sir." She followed him as he headed off. "Somethin' goin' on?" she asked a moment later as he practically hopped down the stairs. Jayne appeared at the bottom and looked up at them curiously. When he saw Mal's smile, he seemed as suspicious of his happiness as everyone else. Kaylee appeared behind him.  
"You could say that," Mal replied. "Back already?" he added to Jayne.  
"I finished my stuff. How come you're all happy all of a sudden?" Jayne demanded.  
"I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm always happy. I'm a very happy person. Ask anyone."  
"Would these be people you're threatening to shoot if they say you aren't?" Zoe asked.  
Mal shook his head. "Honestly, can't a man just be happy?"  
Both Zoe and Jayne answered this, "No."  
"Y'all are too tense. You need a vacation." He started walking again and Jayne and Zoe exchanged looks.  
"Where are you going sir?"  
"Got me some errands to run. A few things to pick up. Won't be long." Zoe watched him go without objecting, but she knew they didn't need any supplies. She couldn't imagine what he was buying.  
"Mal's lost his mind." Jayne said. "I think I oughta take over." Zoe gave him a withering look, which, as usual, had very little effect.  
"I don't think we oughta take command away, but somethin is wrong. Cap'n was whistling earlier," Kaylee told them.  
Zoe frowned again. "Something must have happened. I wish he'd tell us what."

River was standing in the middle of the cargo bay, staring up at the ceiling. She had felt Mal return and was excited by what she saw in his mind. She'd come to the cargo bay to wait for him and now he was coming. She felt everyone's confusion at his change in mood, but she understood.  
"Hey little one, whatcha lookin' at?"  
River looked at him and smiled. "There are eleven dents in the ceiling."  
Mal nodded. "Well, hope they're just little dents." River nodded. "Good. Well, I gotta go buy some things. I'm guessin' you know why." River nodded again, stood on tip toes and kissed him on the cheek before darting off.

A little more than an hour later, Mal returned to the ship dragging a cart of boxes and whistling again. He looked around the cargo bay and was about to go over to the com when River stepped out from behind a crate.  
"I already called them. They're coming."  
"You didn't go ruining my surprise now did you?"  
River smiled and shook her head. Then suddenly collapsed, sprawling dramatically across the floor. For a moment Mal worried she was having a crazy moment, but then she giggled and he understood what she was doing and chuckled ot himself.  
He heard footsteps and looked up. He was surprised to see everyone arriving all at once. As if they'd all been together when River called them down.  
"River!" Simon had spotted River lying on the floor and hurried forward.  
"Nothing to worry 'bout doc. Perfectly normal behaviour for someone in her condition." Mal paused considering. "Point of fact doc, you really oughta be down there with her."  
"What?"  
"You want Simon to lay down on the floor?" Kaylee asked as the others reached them.  
"Captain..." Zoe began.  
"No, no, you're right. Now that you mention it, they shouldn't be on the floor. We're better than that. He stopped down, picked River up and carried her over to a crate. He laid her out gently and then pointed at another crate. "Come on doc."  
Simon looked back and forth between his sister and Mal for a moment. "Why do you want me to lie down?"  
"You've got a medical degree. You don't know?"  
Simon paused again before answering. "I'm sorry, but what has that got to do with anything?"  
"Mal, are you feeling all right?" Inara asked worriedly, stepping towards him.  
"I'm fine. It's the doc here who seems to forget proper behaviour." The crew exchanged looks and River giggled again.  
"Now, see, she ain't supposed to giggle, but she's crazy so we can over look it. But you're a doctor, you're supposed to know better. Now lie down." When Simon neither replied nor complied, Mal sighed. "Look, I ain't gonna tell you again. Lie down. You think I won't enforce proper behaviour on my ship?"  
Simon opened his mouth to object but suddenly River jumped up, pounced on him and he found himself lying on the crate staring up at her nose to nose. "Stay," she ordered, like a little girl reprimanding a naughty puppy. She watched him for a moment then nodded in satisfaction and returned to her own crate.  
"Alright, he's lying down, you wanna tell us what's goin' on now?" Zoe asked.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, there's all the stuff you've bought, and the fact that you've gone bat shit crazy?"  
Mal shook his head. "I have not gone crazy, and the stuff is for the party. Now, before you object, I know, some people might think it's a little soon. But I think they would have wanted us to do this."  
"Who would have wanted us to do this?" Zoe asked.  
Mal didn't answer. He moved over to Kaylee and put his hands on her shoulders. "Kaylee, I want you to come, ok? I know you're still hurting, especially after that interrogation today, but they wouldn't want you to lock yourself away like you have been."  
Kaylee blinked a few times, then finally said "Ok?"  
"Good girl."  
"Why are we having a party?" Inara asked.  
"Because it's time. And I figure we can use it to welcome our new crew members."  
"We got new crew memebers?" Jayne asked.  
"That's why we came to Osiris. Come on guys, you all know this."  
River giggled again.  
"I thought we came to get medicine for River," Zoe said after a moment where the crew exchanged puzzled, worried looks.  
"Zoe," Mal began, coming over to her. "You're better than this. It's been five weeks. I've never seen you react like this."  
"I've never been so worried about your mind."  
"You don't feel guilty about River getting away from you, do you?"  
"What?"  
"Zoe, it wasn't your fault. We were all watching her. She got away from all of us. It was just a tragic accident. No one's fault. Right Inara?"  
Inara stared at him, then looked at Simon and River lying on the crates. Simon had propped himself up on his elbows and was watching with a small frown. "I don't know, was it?" she asked finally.  
"Of course." Mal answered. He moved over, put a hand on Simon's shoulder and pushed him back down. "And I know it might feel wrong replacing them, but we do need a medic on board. And I'd like to get a temporary mechanic, just until Kaylee's feeling better."  
"Am I sick?"  
Mal moved back to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Inara told me you've been crying yourself to sleep. And I can see for myself how rarely you come out of your room. And like I said, I know being questioned about the accident today was hard on you. It was hard on all of us. But I think that's why we need this party.  
"We were questioned all day?" Zoe asked. Mal nodded. "By the feds?" Mal nodded again. "Right. How could I forget."  
"Would someone tell me what in the ruttin' hell is goin' on here?" Jayne demanded.  
"Now Jayne, you're going to make a bad impression on the new crew."  
"What new crew?" Inara asked.  
Mal stopped and gave her a look of mock horror. "Oh no, I didn't introduce them? Where are my manners?"  
"Rachel Thomas is going to be helping out with flying and mechanical stuff." Mal pulled an ident card out of his pocket and held it out. River sat up and took it, smiling happily at everyone. "Hi!"  
"And her brother, Sam, is a doctor." Mal pulled out another ident card and held it out to Simon who sat up slowly and took it.  
For three minutes there was silence except for River giggling. Finally Zoe found her voice.  
"Captain, I think you should explain now."  
Mal grinned and sat down on a crate, gesturing for everyone else to sit too. "Well, it's like this..."

Earlier  
Mal walked slowly along the streets with his jaw clenched. He hated being on a central planet, but Simon wanted that new medication and this was the only planet that had it just yet. Mal just hoped this new medicine worked well enough to be worth it.  
At least the area Mal was in wasn't all suburban and clean. There looked to be some sufficiently disreputable bars here. Wishing he had stayed on the ship, Mal started for one of the bars. He was just reaching for the door when a hand grabbed his arm.  
"Malcolm Reynolds, I'm going to have to ask you to come with me." Twenty minutes later, Mal was sitting at a table in an interrogation room and waiting for the commander to come speak with him.  
When the man finally entered, Mal stood up. "Would you mind telling me what the hell this is about?"  
The man gave him a calm smile and gestured for him to sit back down. Mal sighed and complied irritably, crossing his arms across his chest.  
"Captain Reynolds, I am Commander Jackman. I want you to know that I understand why you and your crew are reluctant to speak with us, but it is time to stop being stubborn. I am tired of it and I'm sure you're tired of the charade as well. I understand this is difficult, but I need the truth."  
"My crew? You've got my crew too? What for? We ain't done nothing to warrant this."  
"I have been questioning your whole crew. All of them. And they're all just as stubborn and uncooperative as you are. But it has gone on long enough."  
"I don't know what you're talking about." He didn't, either. In the four and a half months since Miranda they'd been laying low and sticking to legal jobs. They knew the Alliance was watching and didn't want to give them any excuse to move in. The comment about having the whole crew worried him though, did that include Simon and River?  
"Captain, enough. For the last time, I am going to tell you what I know and what I suspect. And this time, you will tell me whether I am right or not. Is that clear?"  
"For the last time? You haven't said anything a first time yet!"  
"Captain Reynolds, I have been questioning you and your crew all day."  
Mal stared at Jackman, utterly confused. "What?"  
"We know you were on Persephone five weeks ago. We know you did some digging there. We suspected you were burying smuggled goods to be picked up later, either by yourselves or others, and once you left we moved in and did some digging ourselves." Mal frowned, wondering where in the 'verse this was going. They had been on Persephone five weeks earlier, and they had been digging. They'd taken a job helping out some farmers. He knew they couldn't possibly have found anything in their digging; the farmers had been good, honest folk.  
"Imagine our surprise when we found the bodies," Jackman continued.  
Mal stood up again, very quickly. "Bodies? There weren't no bodies there!"  
"Captain, please, enough is enough." He pushed Mal firmly back into the chair and went on. "Now, that pretty much ends what I know, so I will tell you what I suspect. We examined the bodies and I have a theory based on what we found.  
"I believe that Simon Tam, in an effort to help his sister, was examining the code used to trigger her in the Maidenhead." Mal began to sweat. If this guy was high enough to know about that part of it, they were screwed. "Now, Dr. Tam is not stupid. I'm sure he arranged for someone to keep his sister busy while he worked, but she can be slippery. So, I think she got away from whoever was watching her and walked in on her brother at the wrong moment. She saw the code and subsequently moved into weapon mode and killed her brother. The next person she met was fortunate enough to have a chance to use the safeword before she did anymore damage, but it was too late for Simon Tam. I believe, further, that when River woke up and realized what she'd done, she took her own life. You buried them on Persephone and moved on. Moved around a bit, let yourselves grieve. Now you've come to Osiris to pass on your condolences to their family."  
Mal's mouth worked for a moment before he finally found his voice again. "That's...that's what you think happened, is it?"  
"It is. The Alliance isn't really very interested in you and your crew, Captain. Frankly, we'd like to just forget the whole thing. But Simon and River we couldn't just let be. With them dead, we'd prefer just to let you go your way. But I need to know what happened so I can report it to my superiors."  
"Yeah, well, I guess you would."  
"So, am I correct in my guess?"  
"Well, mostly. 'Cept for the part about coming here to see their parents. Can't say I've got much fondness for them from what I heard about them."  
Jackman seemed to consider this, then nodded. "Very well. Thank-you for finally cooperating. I realize this day has been upsetting for your crew. Especially Miss Frye."  
"Very hard. Probably gonna take us a week to get her to stop cryin'. Probably gonna lock herself in her room again."  
"Well, perhaps Miss Rachel Thomas is a good mechanic and can cover for her while she's indisposed." Jackman tossed two ident cards and a scanner onto the table. Mal took a quick look. They were for a brother and sister named Rachel and Samuel Thomas. "As you can see, Mr Thomas is actually Dr. Thomas. I'm glad you found replacements so quickly. I know it can be difficult to find good help."  
"Yeah, real hard." Mal said absently, slipping the ident cards into his pocket.  
"Thank you for your cooperation captain. You may leave now."  
Mal moved to the door but paused just before exiting. He turned back to the Alliance commander. "Why?"  
Jackman didn't answer right away, but Mal needed to know why before he could even consider trusting this.  
Finally Jackman spoke. "Twelve years ago my favourite aunt and uncle signed on to settle on Miranda."


	2. Gifts and Ladders

Disclaimer: Don't own Firefly, still just playing.

Author's Note: I got the idea for the second part of this chapter from the episode Heart of Gold. And if there seems to be an unusual amount of spelling mistakes, it's because my Beta-Reader ran off to Scotland and won't be back for a bit but I want to get this done before I move again.

Mal told Jayne to grap a box and then shooed the whole crew to the dining room. Once they were there Mal revealed the contents of one crate and Inara immediately took charge of it.

"So what's in the other box?" Zoe asked while Inara started preparing the food from the first one.

"Presents." The whole crew gave him worried looks and Mal shrugged. "That last job paid really well and when I saw something I knew Kaylee would love I decided to get it, then I had to get something for everyone else." There were still some sceptical looks but Mal ignored them.

"What is it?" Kaylee asked, giving the crate an excited look.

"After we eat," Mal scolded, grinning at her playful pout. Everyone exchanged looks again and then were suddenly very busy helping Inara prepare food or setting the table. The meal passed quickly, and pleasantly, River occasionally reprimanding people about her and Simon's new names. Mal was glad to see her so happy, she really had improved a great deal since Miranda, maybe the new meds they were supposed to be getting tomorrow would eliminate her bad days completely.

When all the food was gone and the dirty dishes stacked in the kitchen, Kaylee gave over whispering to River and pointed at the second crate. "Presents!"

Mal smiled and moved to the crate. "You don't think maybe we oughta wash the dishes first?" Kaylee stuck her tongue out at him.

"All right, Kaylee first then." Mal reached into the crate, angling the lid so the crew wouldn't see anything from where they were gathered by the table.

Kaylee's gasp of delight when she opend her present made everyone smile. She took the silky dress from the bag and rubbed it against her face. "Oh, it feels just like one of Simon's shirts!" she squealed happily. She held it out so that everyone could see it properly and admired it excitedly for a moment. It wasn't quite as frilly as the layer cake he'd bought her on Persephone, but it still had a full skirt and puffy sleeves. She was obviously thrilled. She carefully laid it on the table and threw her arms around Mal's neck. "Thank you cap'n! It's beautiful!"

"Glad you like it. Got Inara's present in the same store." He pulled out a smaller package and held it out to the companion. Inara took it, giving him a smile and slowly, carefully, pulled back the paper the store had wrapped it in.

"Inara! Hurry up, I wanna see what it is!" Kaylee coaxed, leaning forward from the table where she'd taken a seat sext to her dress. She kept running a hand along the skirt of it, and the other along Simon's arm, almost as if she were comparing.

Inara merely smiled at the younger woman and continued taking her time with the gift. Finally she pulled back the last layer of protective paper and gasped, very much like Kaylee had, which Mal found very amusing.

"I thought it would go well with those earrings you was wearing the other day." Inara looked considerably startled that Mal had noticed her jewelry.

"I...I...I mean, yes, yes, it matches them very nicely. Thank you Mal."

"What is it?" Kaylee pressed. Inara tilted the package so everyone could see the simple necklace with a ruby pendant that was nestled in the paper.

"That's very nice," Zoe commented, leaning forward to get a better look. Inara tilted it towards her and the small jewel caught the light and seemed to glow. Mal was a little bit hurt that Zoe also seemed surprised by his good taste.

"Alright, my turn." Jayne informed Mal. He obediently reached into the box and pulled out a leather wrapped bundle when no one objected. Jayne flipped back the leather and then pulled out the knife and turning it over.

"Great, Jayne got a pointy thing," Simon murmered to Kaylee, not loud enough for anyone else to hear. Kaylee giggled and swatted his arm playfully. "Shh!"

"This, this is a real nice knife. Thanks Mal." Jayne sounded almost choked up, and Mal quickly reached for the next present, thinking that seeing the tough merc cry would give him nightmares for a month..

"This is for you little one," Mal said, holding out a small disk.

River took it from his hand and, without looking at it, held it out to her brother. "He even got the right songs!" River told him. Simon looked at it briefly, smiling bemusedly. "He did, even that Chopin song you loved so much." River took her music back from him and kissed Mal on the cheek.

Mal reached into the crate and pulled out the next present. "Doc, thought you might like this."

Simon took the package from him and opened carefully removed the paper, a little quicker than Inara had, most likely because Kaylee was giving him a look like she'd help him if he didn't hurry on his own.

"Thank you, Mal." He flipped open the book and scanned a page or two.

"Yeah, well I know you like that Earth-That-Was history stuff, so I thought you'd like a book about it. And Hippocrates was the early medicine guy they always talk about."

"I do. And I've always loved the Greeks." Simon answered, showing the book tp Kaylee who was peering over his elbow. She gave him a sly look and whispered something in his ear. Mal couldn't help wondering what one little word could make the doc blush so fast.

"Good. And now, Zoe." Mal reached in and pulled out a fancy bag which he handed to his first mate. Long as he and Zoe had been friends, they hadn't often actually exchanged gifts and he hadn't known what to get her, until, when he'd just about given up and gone back to buy her a necklace, he'd spotted this in a window display and known it was perfect. He'd deliberately saved it til last though, because it was a bit more of an emotional gift than the other's had been.

Zoe opened the bag and drew out the stuffed dinosaur that was inside. The usually stoic woman's eyes filled with tears although none escaped to cross her cheeks. "Thank you," she said quietly. "It's...Wash would have loved it. And it is very cute." She sniffed quickly and with a small smile held it out for them to inspect. Everyone commented on how cute and Wash-like it was, even Jayne. Zoe hugged it to herself and gave Mal a small sad smile.

The next morning Zoe woke up and scrambled for the toilet. She threw up everything she had eaten the ngiht before and then rested her head against the wall for a moment before pushing herself upright and climbing out of her room. She paused at the top, clutching her stomach. Damn, she was going to have to move into the passenger quarters. She'd been hoping to put it off a bit longer, but Simon was right, it was time to stop fussing with ladders everyday.

However, moving could wait til after breakfast, right now she needed something for the nausea, which the vomiting hadn't relieved. She moved slowly through the ship and was relieved to find Simon already awake and in the infirmary. In fact, he was leaning against the counter and seemed to be waiting for her.

"Did you have fun climbing that long long ladder this morning?" he asked innocently as he started pulling out medicines.

Zoe glowered at him. He had been nagging her for two months to move into a passenger dorm but she had been resisting. He had given up suggesting it directly (never having been foolish enough to try giving her a "doctor's order") and had taken to making innocent comments about ladders at every opportunity.

"You and Mal can move my things after breakfast. But it has nothing to do with the ladder, it's the nearness to the infirmary and anti-nauseants I'm doing this for." Simon nodded, wisely not arguing.

The two of them were just exiting when Mal appeared with a man in Alliance uniform. Simon felt a familiar surge of alarm but relaxed slightly when Mal introduced him as Commander Jackman.

"I am sorry to bother you," Jackman said, "but I need to know what I'm supposed to tell your parents."

Simon blinked at him. He honestly hadn't thought about that. He hadn't spoken to his parents since before he left to rescue River. He hadn't even said goodbye to them, too angry at their refusal to believe or help him.

"I don't know. I...I hadn't...I should talk to River."


	3. I Need To Know

Disclaimer: I do not own any Joss-verse, including Firefly.

Author's Note: This chapter is pretty short, just setting up the next one which will be half emotional and, hopefully, half funny. And hopfully up soon since I know how most of it goes.

* * *

"I thought I'd be home for Christmas." River said when Simon knocked softly on her door and pushed it open. She looked up at him sadly for a moment before ducking her head, letting a curtain of hair fall between her and her brother.

"So you know Commander Jackman is here." He sat down beside her on the bed and pushed her hair out of her face. "What do you want to do River?"

"I want to know why." River whispered, meeting her brother's gaze with tear filled eyes.

Simon sighed inwardly, though keeping things inside was pointless when talking to a psychic. He wasn't really surprised. He didn't think it was a good idea to let their parents know they were alive and it could only hurt River to hear and see first hand how little their parents had cared for them. But he understood why she wanted to see them.

"River," he began, but she cut him off.

"I know Simon. But we can go in without them seeing us. Please, Simon! Even after you brought me here I thought someday we could go back to them. I want to know why only you came. Maybe now they believe us, you can't know for sure that they don't. Please, ge ge, I need to know."

Simon sighed. He'd never been able to say no to her. Maybe the captain would do it for him.

"He won't," River told him. Simon sighed again.

"Ain't that kinda risky?" Jayne asked half an hour alter when the crew had gathered in the mess to discuss the plan.

"There won't be anyone else in the house but them." Simon explained. "River and I both figured out how to get around the security system years ago; they won't know we're there unless we decide to tell them, which we won't do unless we're sure they won't turn us in." From his tone of voice he didn't believe that was going to happen.

"And if they've changed their security system?" Zoe asked.

"River will get us around it."

"You sure you wanna do this little one?" Mal asked, looking at River. She could sense his captainly protectiveness and it meant a great deal to her, but it made her all the more determined to know why her own parents hadn't felt the same way when she had begged them to help her.

"We have to."

"Alright then. Let's work out the details." They settled down to the business of getting Simon and River safely through the city to their childhood home, into the house, and making plans to deal with anything that might go wrong. Ultimately it was decided that Zoe and Jayne would go with Simon and River to keep an eye on things while Mal took Kaylee to pick up the meds they'd come for in the first place.


	4. Dolls and Dollmakers

Disclaimer: Firefly belongs to the amazing Joss Whedon. If you don't know that, why are you reading Firefly fanfic?

Author's Note: I was going to have both this bit and the stealing of the medication in one chapter, but I decided they were too dissimilar in tone to have together. Once again, I will do my best to update relatively soon.

* * *

"So, are we actually gonna take any money or stuff, or are we just gonna pretend?" Jayne asked Zoe as they waited in the cargo bay for Simon and River. Zoe frowned at him. 

The plan was fairly simple: the four of them, plus Mal and Kaylee, would take the shuttle to the woods the bordered the Tam Estate. Mal and Kaylee would drop them off there and go to pick up the medicine while Simon and River led them into the house. They would all have their faces covered so if something went wrong and they were seen they could pretend to be robbing the place. It was risky, but no one had had the heart to tell River no and her abilities should minimize the risk.

"Everybody ready?" Mal asked a few minutes later as he joined them. Kaylee was just behind him and Simon and River were already making their way up the stairs to the shuttle.

"We are," Zoe confirmed. Jayne grunted and he and Kaylee moved to follow Simon and River.

Mal nodded and shot a worried look at the siblings. "Look after 'em Zo."

Zoe knew he didn't just mean physically. "I will," she promised.

The shuttle was quiet until it landed at the edge of the trees about ten minutes from the Estate where Simon and River had grown up.

Mal didn't open the door right away and River looked back at him. "You sure you can get around the security system? It's not too late to change your minds."

"The system is still the same one they have always used. The last upgrades change nothing. Even the codes have not changed."

Mal sighed and pushed the door control. "We'll be back in hour. You all be out here waitin' or we're comin' in to get you." Zoe caught his eye for a moment before following the rest of her party out. She remained quiet as she followed them through the trees. Jayne didn't talk either, but Simon had found his voice and was half-heartedly trying to convince River that they could still just wait in the woods and not go in.

River ended the one-sided argument quickly. "I have to see."

River got them past the security system as easily as she'd promised and five minutes later they were creeping through the back door of the Tam mansion. River informed them in a whisper that Gabriel and Reagan were alone in the house, talking in the main sitting room.

"Has Jackman told them we're dead yet?" Simon whispered back. When River nodded he continued, "And what are they thinking about it?"

"I don't want to hear it in their heads, I want to hear with my ears," River insisted, moving further into the house. Simon opened his mouth to object, point out that it was needlessly dangerous, but River spoke again. "It's important to me. And you can't hear in your head anyways, so you have to hear with your ears."

"I don't need to hear anything."

River came back and took his hand, pulling him unwillingly along the hall. "You do, you just don't want to."

Zoe and Jayne hung back a bit as River silently pulled Simon along until they were standing just outside the door to the room their parents were in. Simon had the presence of mind to pull the scarves up over his and River's faces just in case, and Zoe and Jayne covered their faces as well.

"This is all Simon's fault!" Gabriel Tam was telling his wife.

Reagan sighed and swished the contents in her glass around again. "Would you please stop saying that? He's dead, alright. They're both dead. We never even got to see them again. Will you just...stop blaming him for a moment?"

\\\

"I know they're dead Reagan!" Gabriel snapped. "And they wouldn't be dead if Simon had just backed off when he was told to."

"He thought they were hurting her."

"Don't defend him, Reagan. He cost you both of them, not to mention the scandal he caused disappearing and then showing up on the cortex with a high level warrant. And dragging River into it. You know she never would have left The Academy if he hadn't forced her. She could have gone so far, and he cut it all short!"

"He thought they were hurting her." Reagan repeated.

"Those damn letters! I read them, just like you did. Did you see anywhere where she asked him to drag her off to the Rim?"

"I don't know. Maybe there was a code, maybe she did try to tell him what was happening. The program must have been frightening at first."

"That's no excuse for breaking the law. He knew she was in a government facility, I thought he had more sense than to risk everything like that. He damn near destroyed us all."

"Well then it's a good thing you disassociated us from him when you did," Reagan answered, a little more bitterly then she meant to.

"I don't remember you objecting when I told him to get out."

"I thought it would bring him to his senses, I didn't expect him to go off and get killed."

"I'm surprised it took as long as it did. Did you hear what kind of garbage heap he had them living on?"

"We should have done more to help him."

"What are you saying? You think we should have thrown our lives away like he did?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant we should...we should have told him what we knew. He only went after her because he didn't understand."

"He knew the consequences of his actions."

Reagan sighed and put her glass down. She was tired: tired of arguing with Gabriel, tired of trying to figure what she could have done differently to save both her children, and tired of that little voice in the back of her head that kept insisting that Simon wasn't stupid or rash.

"What are we going to tell our friends?" Gabriel demanded.

"Tell them whatever you want, Gabriel. I'm going to bed."

"Reagan, we have to discuss this."

"Not tonight. Tonight I just want to grieve for them. Is that all right with you? My children are dead and all I'm asking you for is one night to mourn them without listening to you hate them."

Gabriel stiffened. "I don't hate them Reagan. I loved them. But they brought this on themselves. They went against the Alliance."

"I don't want to fight anymore Gabriel. You decide what we'll tell people and you can tell me in the morning. I am going to bed." She didn't give him a chance to object again as she swept out of the room. She didn't notice the two figures just disappearing around the dark corner.

\\\

Jayne wasn't very good at reading people's faces, not like Zoe was. But he could see that Simon was upset. River he couldn't read, but she was a moonbrain, afterall, and also staring at the floor so he couldn't even see her face

"We done?" he asked. Zoe wasn't usually easy to read either, but right now Jayne could tell she was annoyed with him.

She lay a hand of River's shoulder and addressed both siblings. "You all right?"

Simon reached out to push his sister's hair back, leaning forward slightly to see her face. "River? We should go."

River looked up and shook her head. "No. We need to get stuff. From my closet. They don't know it's there, they'll never miss it. And I want Jem."

Simon blinked. "I thought you brought Jem to the Academy."

River shook her head. "I forgot him. He was hiding in the closet when I was packing." She started off down the hall again and the rest of them were forced to follow.

"Why was Jem hiding in the closet?" Simon asked as they caught up with River.

"Daddy wanted to throw him away, said he was getting ratty, so I hid him."

"Who's Jem?" Zoe asked Simon as River darted into another hall and crept towards a doorway.

"He's a teddy bear I bought her when she was eight. She named him after a character in _To Kill a Mockingbird_ which she was reading at the time."

"So he'd be in her room? Won't that be kind of close to where your mother was heading?"

"No. Their room is in the west wing, we slept in the east wing."

"You slept on opposite ends of the house?" Jayne asked. "My ma wouldn't a trusted me on th'other end of ours when I was growin' up, and our house weren't even a quarter this size!"

Simon shrugged distractedly as River stopped outside a door and pressed her ear against it. He touched her shoulder to get her attention and she shushed him, pulling him gently against the door. She whispered something to Simon that sounded like "She's singing" but he wasn't sure.

Simon jerked back from the door and tugged at River's arm. "We're leaving, now!" he hissed.

"Somethin' wrong?" Zoe murmured.

"Mother didn't go to her own room, she's in River's. I'm sorry mei mei, but Jem is just going to have to stay here!"

"It's OK, Simon, daddy's still in the sitting room."

Jayne glanced at Zoe and figured she was thinking the same thing he was; they'd only heard bits and pieces of the older Tams' conversation, but nothing they had heard had suggested that it would be safe to reveal themselves to Mrs. Tam.

"We can't reveal ourselves to mother either!" he whispered desperately, trying unsuccessfully to pull her away.

River pulled her arm out of her brother's grip and opened the door. Zoe jumped forward and followed her into the room, resting one hand on her gun. Simon followed on her heels and Jayne, after checking the hallway, followed as well.

\\\

Reagan Tam jerked in surprise and dropped the doll she'd been holding when the door opened. She'd been on her way to bed, but had changed her mind and come here to say goodbye to her daughter as best she could. She looked up, expecting Gabriel and was alarmed to see a small figure with a scarf covering her face and hair glide into the room. She was more alarmed when the first person was followed by three more, one female, two males, all similarly attired and two of whom were clearly armed.

"Who are you?" she asked shakily.

"Ain't somethin you need to worry yourself about," the second, taller, woman told her calmly. Her hand was resting on her gun and Reagan had no doubt she'd draw it if she had to. The other armed person had drawn his though he wasn't pointing it at her.

The woman who'd come in first pulled open River's closet and was digging through thte pile of stuff Reagan had never been able to bring herself to get rid of, even when she'd known they would never, could never, come back.

"Don't!" she said desperately, standing. "Please, whatever you want, take it, but don't take my daughter's things! Please! They're all I have left of her."

"How sad," the smaller of the two men snapped gruffly. Reagan flinched.

The girl emerged from the closet at that moment, clutching a teddy bear Reagan recognized as having been one of River's favourites.

"Please, don't take the bear. I'll open the safe for you, I'll transfer funds, whatever you want, just don't take my daughter's bear!" She sank back to the bed sobbing and jumped when a small hand toucher her shoulder.

"You're sad," the girl whispered in her ear. "Guilty."

"Take anything else, please!" she repeated pleadingly. "The bear was River's. Simon gave it to her. Please don't take it from me, I've already lost them."

Still holding the bear the girl reached to pull away the scarf but the man who'd spoken grabbed her wrist.

"Don't!"

"It's ok ge ge, she won't tell anyone." She pulled her hand from her brother's grip and Reagan's heart nearly stopped as she found herself looking into a face she never thought she'd see again. It was a little different than she remembered, but then it had been nearly four years since she'd actually seen her daughter's face. She stared breathlessly at her then turned to the man who slowly uncovered his face. She let out a choked sob. River was looking at her sadly, but Simon was glaring at her coldly.

"I don't understand, Commander Jackman...he said he saw your bodies!" She directed the question at River, unable to meet her son's gaze any longer.

"Commander Jackman gave the dolls you broke new names so they could be safe."

Reagan blinked blankly at her daughter and glanced back at her son. But he was looking at his sister.

"She needs to know why. She sees but needs to hear. The dolls need to know why the doll-makers let the bad children take them away." Reagan continued to look confusedly between her children.

"She wants to know why you abandoned her," Simon explained in a harsh voice.

"You were with the government! You were safe!"

Simon made a disgusted noise but it was River who spoke. "They didn't play nice. They went in and changed what was said when you pull the string. It hurt. I told you and Simon's string words changed too, but you still didn't listen. I told you I was hurting and no one came, they still didn't play nice and no one came!"

Reagan felt tears streaming down her face but couldn't think of anything to say. River's voice had gotten progressively higher as she spoke and Simon had put an arm around her. He stroked her hair and forced her to look at him. Reagan saw that she was crying too.

"I came," Simon reminded her. "And the crew always comes. Only reason we're here, remember? We don't need her, or him."

"Could have come sooner if they'd helped you." River looked down at Reagan and reached out. "He gave up everything for me because you made him. And you made me give up. I knew he'd tried to see me, but he never came. I thought he couldn't come and then he did and I saw why he took so long and I want to know why! Why didn't you care about your dolls?"

"I do care!" Reagan insisted. "We thought the Academy was a good place for you! We though Simon was risking everything for nothing!"

"I am not nothing!" River sobbed.

"That's not what I meant. River, Simon please! I'm sorry!"

"Too late," Simon snapped.

"You didn't want it to be anything. You just wanted the perfect life you thought you had. Now we're dead, you can tell whatever lies you like. No more dolls to say the wrong things, wear the wrong clothes." River sniffled and brushed the tears off her cheeks. "You were sad because we were dead. Now you know we're not. Hurt for that." She looked up at Simon. "Time to go meet Uncle Captain, before he has to come for us again."

Neither of them looked back as they slipped out of the room, but the two people who'd come with them shot her dark looks. "You really care about them at all, you'll keep quiet about them bein' alive," the woman said just before she shut the door. Reagan gave herself completely over to her tears as the soft footsteps faded away.


	5. Family: Old and New

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, I just like playing with it.

Author's Note: this is the last chapter, thanks to everyone who's been reading. This may not be the best, but I've been struggling with keeping them in character and still providing an appropriate ending to this story.

* * *

Simon, River, Zoe, and Jayne were waiting when Mal and Kaylee set down at the edge of the trees. Kaylee met them at the door and led them into the shuttle's main area. Mal gestured for Zoe to take the helm and joined them, inspecting the Tam siblings for signs of trauma. Simon seemed tense and he could just make out that River had been crying, but overall, not as bad as he had feared.

"Everything go alright?" Simon asked.

"Went smooth, got lots of meds for your sister and a bunch to sell."

"Good. So we can get off this planet as soon as we get back to Serenity?"

"That's the plan," Mal agreed. Simon nodded and sat down on a crate next to the bench River and Kaylee were sitting on. River was leaning into Kaylee's shoulder and she was starting to smile which Mal hoped was a good sign.

"So, didya tell anyone you're alive?" Kaylee asked, glancing at Simon and tugging him closer.

"We told old mother," River answered. "She cried and Simon glared. She won't tell anyone, it hurts too much. And it should."

"Are you alright though?" Mal asked. He didn't particular want to talk about this, but it was his captainy responsibility to make sure she wasn't going to fall apart.

"Should have heard Aunt Zoe and Cousin Jayne's thoughts! So protective! Just like Uncle Captain. Very sweet, made me feel better after."

Mal ran this through his head and looked at the doctor who seemed to be pointedly avoiding his gaze. There was a very small smile playing about his lips.

"Aunt Zoe and Cousin Jayne?" Kaylee inquired, sounding amused and a little relieved. She'd been fretting the entire time they'd been on the job about how upset Simon and River might be when they got back, she was as relieved as Mal that they seemed OK.

"And Uncle Captain." River confirmed. "And Aunt Inara and Sister Kaylee. Specially when you and Simon..."

"River!" Simon interrupted hastily.

River stuck her tongue out at him. "Such a boob." She turned her back on him and she and Kaylee fell to discussing exactly how each crew member fit their familial role on the ship.

Mal sat on the other bench and leaned forward so he could talk to Simon.

"When exactly did she start calling me Uncle Captain?"

"About half an hour ago."

"Right."

The two men remained quiet for the rest of the trip, just listening to Kaylee and River giggling over examples of typical crew behaviour. River shared a few tidbits about Jayne that made Mal glad the merc was up in the front with Zoe stead of back here listening.

When the shuttle docked everyone stood up and Mal began divvying up the boxes to be carried into the ship. Before anyone could actually start, Inara opened the door from the ship's side and burst in. She looked uncharacteristically emotional and hugged River and Kaylee both at once.

"Everything's ok, Auntie 'Nara. Said goodbye to old family, and already have a new one." River kissed her on the cheek and Mal handed her a box.


End file.
